Hey Guys!
I was thinking the other day about how long I have been away from home, and how many places I have lived in the last two years (Four!) and I realized that so many of us don’t live near our families, maybe because we are in school, or work, or whatever it might be, and sometimes fighting homesickness can be REALLY difficult. So, I wanted to share my tips for how I have managed to keep myself from getting homesick, and what helps when I am homesick (because it’s inevitable to get homesick when you live far away! For me at least!)
1. Unpack… Like, really unpack.
I am guilty of moving somewhere and leaving things in boxes for months. It’s so important to “settle” into where you are now, and keeping things in boxes and styaing half unpacked will make it harder to feel settled into your new location.
2. Make It Your Own
It’s so important to make your new location/place feel like home, and less temporary, even thought it might be. Something I always do is print out pictures of my family and friends and put them up somewhere. I love to decorate, so I always make sure to decorate wherever I am, so that it feels like my own.
3. Keep In Touch
It can be hard to do this when you’re far away, because you don’t ever see you friends or family, so you have to call them if you want to talk. I try to avoid texting if I can, just because it never helps me feel connected to the people I miss. I like to call my family on Sunday’s, or anytime that I feel lonely or homesick. It works, and it helps to hear their voice and laugh. It always helps me feel better.
4. Learn To Love Where You Are
This one is so important to me. The last few years I’ve lived in 4 states, and each state has had something amazing that it taught me, from people to sights, all of it! I have been guilty of moving to a new place for work or school, and then just staying at work, or school, and home, occasionally going out with friends. This is never a good idea, and it always makes me MORE homesick! You have to learn to love where you are, by trying new things, learning what is unique about where you are, and exploring it! It will help you appreciate where you are more, and learn to love it.
5. Book A Trip Home
When I get homesick, I remind myself that I will be going home to visit. I always like to know when the next time I will be going home will be, and I am a planner, so usually I book my flight in advance, and it helps me because I know that I will be going home to visit, and it’s something to look forward to.
Hope these help 🙂
XOXO, MYKEL ELIZABETH